Jo Durden-Smith (24 December 1941 – 10 May 2007) was a British documentary film maker, writer and journalist. His film work included '' The Doors Are Open'', ''

The Stones in the Park ''The Stones in the Park'' was a free outdoor festival held in Hyde Park on 5 July 1969, headlined by the Rolling Stones and featuring Third Ear Band, King Crimson, Screw, Alexis Korner's New Church, Family and the Battered Ornaments, in f ...

'', '' Johnny Cash at St Quentin'', and, later, television work ''Russian Godfathers'' on the

Russian oligarchs Russian oligarchs () are business oligarchs of the former Soviet republics who rapidly accumulated wealth in the 1990s via the Russian privatisation that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The failing Soviet state left the ownershi ...

. His books included ''Who Killed George Jackson?'' (1976), about the death of imprisoned activist George Jackson.

Life

John "Jo" Anthony Durden-Smith was born in

Pinner Pinner is a suburb in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, England, northwest of Charing Cross, close to the border with Hillingdon, historically in the county of Middlesex. The population was 38,698 in 2021. Originally a mediaeval ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, to parents who were doctors (his father was a surgeon and his mother a radiologist). He was educated at Haileybury and at

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 126 ...

, where he read Classics. He worked for ''

World in Action ''World in Action'' was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television for ITV from 7 January 1963 until 7 December 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its product ...

'',

Granada TV ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend Television was its ...

's documentary team, where his rock films were made. Subsequently, he lived in New York, United States, and then in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, Russia. He was a columnist for ''

The Moscow Times ''The Moscow Times'' (''MT'') is an Amsterdam-based independent English-language and Russian-language online newspaper. It was in print in Russia from 1992 until 2017 and was distributed free of charge at places frequented by English-speaking to ...

'' until 1997. His younger brother was the actor

Richard Durden Mark Richard Durden-Smith (born 8 February 1944), known as Richard Durden, is an English actor, with a range of television, film and stage credits. Personal life Durden-Smith was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College and Merton Co ...

and his half-brother was the broadcaster Neil Durden-Smith.

Books

*''Who Killed George Jackson?'' (1976) *''Sex and the Brain'' (1983) with Diane DeSimone *''Russia: a long-shot romance'' (1994) *''Mafia'' (2002) *''100 most infamous criminals'' (2003) *''The Essence of Buddhism'' (2004) *''Nostradamus and Other Prophets and Seers'' (2005)

Notes

External links

London ''Times'' obituary''Daily Telegraph'' obituaryBFI filmography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durden-Smith, Jo 1941 births 2007 deaths 20th-century British journalists 20th-century British male writers 20th-century British non-fiction writers 21st-century British male writers 21st-century British non-fiction writers Alumni of Merton College, Oxford British documentary filmmakers

Life

Books

See also

Notes

External links